LANDFILL GAS OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES IN POLAND · LANDFILL GAS OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES IN POLAND Rafał Lewicki for the Waste Management Department . Global Methane Initiative Kraków,

LANDFILL GAS OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES

IN POLAND Rafał Lewicki

for the Waste Management Department

Global Methane Initiative Kraków, 12-14 October 2011

Landfill Gas Operational Challenges in Poland Author: Rafał Lewicki

For Waste Management Department -2-

EU and Polish Regulations


LANDFILL DIRECTIVE 1999/31/WE Procedures for landfill gas control and monitoring

Representativeness & frequency (monthly, six-monthly) LFG composition & emissions, atmospheric conditions, LFG control system efficiency Processing and utilisation of LFG or flaring if energy recovery not possible Minimising the negative effect on environment and human health

PL WASTE BILL of the 27 April 2001 (Art.52 )

Building permit for a landfill Protection of life, health and environment Requirements for collection, processing and utilisation or destruction of LFG

PL REGULATION OF THE MINISTER OF THE ENVIRONMENT of the 9 December 2002 Landfill monitoring

LFG monitoring Representativeness & frequency (monthly, six-monthly) LFG composition & emissions, atmospheric conditions, LFG control system efficiency

PL REGULATION OF THE MINISTER OF THE ENVIRONMENT of the 24 March 2003 Requirements for localisation, building, exploitation and closure of particular landfill types

Requirement for installation for LFG collection Requirement for cleaning and utilisation of LFG, or flaring, if energy recovery is not possible

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Active LFG Control Systems CONCEPT POSITIVES NEGATIVES

PUMPED VENTILATION TRENCHES (SUCTION) GOOD LOCAL GAS CONTROL RISK OF SIGNIFICANT AIR INGRESS INTO THE WASTE AND UNDERGROUND FIRES

AIR-FLUSHED VENTILATION TRENCHES (PRESSURE)

GOOD LOCAL GAS CONTROL RISK OF SIGNIFICANT AIR INGRESS INTO THE WASTE AND UNDERGROUND FIRES

PUMPED ACTIVE GAS WELLS (VETRTICAL & HORIZONTAL), VENTED TO ATMOSPHERE OR WITH BIOFILTERS

LOW COST PUMPING STATION EMISISONS TO THE ATMOSPHERE OF HARMFUL AND ODOROUS GASES. POSSIBILITY OF BLOCKAGE AND DAMAGE DURING LANDFILL SETTLEMENT GENERATION OF EXPLOSIVE ZONES

PUMPED ACTIVE GAS WELLS (VERTICAL, HORIZONTAL, TEMPORARY, SACRIFICIAL, PERMANENT) – GAS COMBUSTED IN A FLARE

GOOD GAS CONTROL SAFE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY DESTRUCTION OF HARMFUL GASES

HIGH COST OF PUMPING STATION AND FLARE. NO PROFIT (UNLESS JI PROJECT). POSSIBILITY OF BLOCKAGE AND DAMAGE DURING LANDFILL SETTLEMENT GENERATION OF EXPLOSIVE ZONES

PUMPED ACTIVE GAS WELLS (VERTICAL, HORIZONTAL) – GAS COMMERCIALLY UTILISED

GOOD GAS CONTROL SAFE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY DESTRUCTION OF HARMFUL GASES COMMERCIAL AND PROFITABLE UTILISATION OF THE GAS, POSSIBLE OFFSET OF THE COST OF GAS INFRASTRUCTURE BY PROFITABLE ENERGY SALES

COMMERCIAL VIABILITY OF THE PROJECT DEPENDANT ON THE RENEWABLE ENERGY PRICES. HIGH COST OF PUMPING STATION, FLARE AND ENERGY RECOVERY INFRASTRUCTURE. NO PROFIT (UNLESS JI PROJECT). POSSIBILITY OF BLOCKAGE AND DAMAGE DURING LANDFILL SETTLEMENT GENERATION OF EXPLOSIVE ZONES

FORCED VENTILATION OF DEVELOPMENTS AT RISK

RELIABLE PROTECTION FOR HIGH RISK DEVELOPMENTS.

COSTLY, COMPLICATED, USED AS A LAST RESOURCE

Author: Rafał Lewicki For Waste Management Department Landfill Gas Operational Challenges in Poland


Gas wells

Collection pipework

Manifolds

Dewatering devices

Pumping station

Flare

Gas utilisation plant

– boiler, engine, direct use

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LFG Control and Energy Recovery Scheme



Site specific engineering solutions

High safety level

Efficient gas control and destruction of

methane and harmful components (BAT)

Monitoring of the gas control system

Simplicity, redundancy and flexibility

Several decades of operation

Installation by specialist companies

Quality control

Maintenance of the system

Minimum energy requirement

Maximum energy recovery

Avoidance of impractical and costly solutions -5-

LFG Control and Energy Recovery Scheme



-6-

Examples of LFG Plants



-7-

Examples of Landfill Sites



Site specific conditions

Environmental requirements

Engineering solutions

Economy of the project

Administrative requirements

-8-

LFG Project Development



LFG & CHP Plant - Mława

-9-

Development Challenges



Site evaluation

Pumping trial

Concept

Project

Negotiations

Administrative procedures

Grid connection

Procurement of plant

Gas system installation

Commissioning

Lack of complex approach – gas & leachate, restoration

Lack of flexibility and redundancy in design Lack of diversity of energy recovery

– electricity only, few installations with CHP Site specifics not considered Safety Elementary design errors

– pressure losses, flares, booster selection Costly, “automated” solutions

– impractical & expensive Poor performance of the systems

– undersized, oversized, maintenance

-10-

Operational Challenges of LFG Control Systems



Capital sins

Landfill is a live organism

Nothing is certain except of the change

Concept & design – thinking ahead

Installation & Commissioning

Operation & Maintenance

Balancing of the gas field

Changes and challenges – troubleshooting

Monitoring

Instrumentation

Understanding and interpretation of results

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0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1,000

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2027

2028

2029

2030

2031

2032

2033

2034

2035

2036

Lan

dfi

ll G

as (

m3/h

)

Technical

Landfill site changes

– natural & operational

Changes in gas generation

Leachate

Capping

Settlement

Waste tipping & surcharging

Engineering works

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Technical

Administrative

Local authorities

Central control

Level of knowledge

Global, country and particular interests

Economical

Pollution charges – venting/flaring/generating

Investments of private investors Operators do minimum unless forced or have

commercial economical interest LFG potential is not fully exploited

– small energy recovery projects not viable

– environmental control enforcement

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Non-Technical

Government / Ministry of the Environment initiatives Green, Red, Brown certificates Technical Guidance Procedural Guidance Educational activities Research Legislation

JI projects

Link with UNFCCC activities

National Environmental Protection Fund

Landfill closure and restoration co-financing

GIOŚ – Head Environment Protection Inspectorate

Enforcement of the law

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Positive Developments



Education & Communication

Continuous professional development local authorities, environment protection

inspectors, landfill operators, energy

authorities, users

Promotion of innovative technologies

Internal regulations

European legislation

Active participation of Poland

Polish presidency in 2011

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More Challenges…



Rafał Lewicki

DZIEKUJĘ ZA UWAGĘ

For the Waste Management Department


Landfill Gas Operational Challenges in Poland

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Documents

LANDFILL GAS OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES IN POLAND · LANDFILL GAS OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES IN POLAND Rafał Lewicki for the Waste Management Department . Global Methane Initiative Kraków,